Hard to decide which part of this article is the most disgusting; supporting breeders, improper feeding made to sound OK, improper weaning, no carrier or harness outside, on and on the list goes.SICK...

I made a comment on the site where I noted that cans and cigarettes are not appropriate bird chew toys, and I got the message, "Your comment contained language deemed inappropriate and may not be posted.

Banned words:"cans" "

Oh well.

At any rate, a lot of that story made me want to spew. How hard is it, at the very least, to get a bird proper things to chew on, like clean branches? I would hate to know what he feeds her.

Good morning Sandy,I am writing to comment and to appeal for help. I am the "parent" of 4 rescued Cockatoos. I wish that i could take more as the rescues and shelters are almost all at capacity. It is likely they will have to begin euthanizing these amazingly smart, loving, incredible souls soon. Their lifespans are 60+ years, not like the 14 years of a dog.I am sure your article was meant to be cute, but it is a terrible message to the public and a sentence of life with humans who do not give these amazing beings what they need for many more of these beautiful creatures.Your article is full of terrible things;1~ support of breeding, rather than showing it as the worse than puppy mills it actually is.2~ no mention of the epidemic need for shelters.3~ implies that all birds could survive what this one has; improper weaning, poor feeding, being outside not on a harness, chewing on harmful/toxic items (cigarettes, cans, etc).I could go on but ask that perhaps you contact a reputable bird sanctuary like Project Perry~ the virginia parrot sanctuary, Best Friends, or Foster Parrots and print a story to help the birds. it is not much to ask really since the last article will surely lead to many more impulse buys and lives of poor health for many of these innocent angels.Thank you,Tania Merette

Last edited by Rukesmom; 08/31/1004:00 PM. Reason: added copy of my letter to the writer...

wow, this is so terrible. It amazes me how awful people are. I am always so sad reading the things you guys post here. Its bittersweet because I know these things happen, I am glad I can save 2 of the birds, but I know that there are so many more that need help. *sigh*

Of all the things that make me sad about this article,the last paragraph saddens me the most.The man is probably correct that when he dies, the bird will also die quickly, just because she is so bonded to him. Poor,poor bird....

This article just made my heart ache. I have sent a very detailed letter to the author. It is this kind of story that makes people think how "cool" it is to "own" a cockatoo. If that poor angel isnt dead soon (from all the horrible things she is ingesting and breathing), she will be another bird in the shelter once her owner is unable to care for her.

Remember, that we all must do what we can for who we can with what we have...that is truly the way to see this.

We all want to win the lottery or have a fab new car, but when it all comes down to it, we make ourselves and our flock happy by being accepting of our limitations and resources and making the best of what we have for our families, including the birds we choose to spend our lives with.

See these stories, understand the issues, be cognizant of what is happening and then do what you can (in your way, in your time, where you are) to make a difference. Even if you can just give a good bag of bird food to Project Perry or Mickaboo or Best Friends...every little bit helps.

Sorry for the long rant, but this is so hard for so many people and if we can re-direct the emotion and feelings into action it can become something that really does help the birds.

Yes~ actions speak louder than words for sure. Hope that most of us here are people who make a difference. I think we are!!!!For one, I am pretty sure that there is no member here who would ever go to a breeder or pet store for a "pet" ever again! My guess is that we share the rescue need with those that we know. The word spreads, I hope! Nobody I know has gone to a breeder for years~ they know I would probably snap :-)I am not only involved in helping the birds but have volunteered with dog rescues for ever and some with cats, horses and small animals too.This brings me back to something we mentioned in Noelle's thread a short time ago; perhaps we can all consider gifts this year of donations in people's honor? Seems much better than a new CD or sweater!

Unfortunately, most of the rescues here are breeders as well and I will not support them.

One of the things I have recently realized is that I was spending so much time trying to help others that my own birds were not getting the attention they needed. I had forgotten why I brought the 2nd, 3rd and 4th birds into my home. I've been spending a lot of time with them and it has been wonderful. I even have an opportunity to teach Gypsy some behaviours for TV, etc. We'll see how that goes. LOL

Looks like there have been a lot of posts put on that hideous article, condemning the article itself. I decided one more probably would make little or no difference. So I put a post on there, inviting Charlie (the owner) to visit this message board. That won't undo the damage done by the article, but maybe we can help make a difference in the life of that one cockatoo!

A bird is like a child to love, nurture, and care for. . . but they never grow up and move away.

I revisited this article and it looks as though some changes have been made to it! There is nothing in the article regarding cigarettes or pencils for chew toys. They do still talk about Charlie purchasing Mongolet from a breeder in Melbourne which is unfortunate but it looks like the letters and comments hit their mark. At least they took out the bit about the horrible chew toys he was giving her. =)